Giving Thanks

As a survivor of the mudslides, I want to thank all of the various forms of government (State, Federal, County, City) who handled the recent storm. 

Sincerely, Paul Orfalea

Way It Was Reflections

Of all the pieces in the Montecito Journal, Hattie Beresford’s The Way It Was local history series is my favorite. This week’s piece on the history of Montecito’s eucalyptus trees “Devil or Angel: The History of Eucalyptus” is a marvel for what she unearthed – including the historic imagery she found to back up the storytelling. In an era when many new families and folks are moving to town (suggesting a corresponding cultural shift at times) Ms. Beresford’s journalism becomes a critical link to our area’s past that can help offer context to land use, environmental, and cultural quandaries. She is also clear and sparing in her adjectives which I find winning in a writer.

Olivia Joffrey

Message from Save Mont Eucs

On behalf of the stately eucalyptus trees that have graced East Valley Road without incident for decades, we observe that reports of our demise have been grossly overstated. A myriad of Montecito Community Plan policies and state laws protect resources with biological, aesthetic and historical features, including these trees. As happened 20 years ago, these trees need a health assessment by a qualified arborist and if they are healthy, they will stand safely for many more decades. If they require care, they should be cared for. If any individual tree is so sickly it must be removed, after considering impacts to monarch butterflies, hawks, owls and other birds, a plan and permits for removal can be developed. The complaints and fears aired in the uncharacteristically one-sided MJ article are nothing new, and are largely overblown. Save Mont Eucs lives on to speak for and defend these defining features of our community.  

Evan Aptaker
President, Save Mont Eucs
Montecito, CA